Vectorform’s work hits the big screen on the high seas! Our digital postcard application for Royal Caribbean made its debut in Royal Reunion, a short film directed by James Brolin, and got prime placement on the Royal Caribbean Ocean View Films site. The Windows 7, multi-touch enabled video postcard creator is featured in the first scene, but keep your eyes peeled for additional cameos from Dean Cain, Shrek, and the director–who plays the family patriarch celebrating a 40th wedding anniversary at sea.Read more

The Settlers of Catan has been one of the most popular strategic board games since its official launch in 1995. The game is translated in over 30 languages and sold more than 15 million copies.

Now Vectorform Game Studio brings you Catan as presented by Mayfair for the Microsoft Surface. This multi-touch, multi-player experience captures the authentic experience provided by the popular board game. Featuring 3 or 4 player modes, a beautifully animated and interactive board, and a free-form interface which keeps play flowing as smoothly as possible, this experience is sure to be a defining element in the legacy of Catan.Read more

News from Vectorform Germany. “Neue Arbeiten” (“new kinds of work”) was the event theme of the IHK and Microsoft Event in Bochum. At this event there was a presentation of the MS Surface and the 24’’ and a 46’’ Multi-touch Citron Displays. The special focus of this event was how modern ways of cooperation and communication can sustainably change companies. Vectorform provided various solutions out of different market segments on MS Surface and the Multi-touch displays and revealed the future potentials that lie within the use of Windows 7 and Multi-touch applications.Read more

America’s top celebrity news and gossip show just got a little juicier. Vectorform recently collaborated with ExtraTV to develop a unique application for the Microsoft Surface. A simple and fun interface was created to show host Mario Lopez how to interact with videos and images using multi-touch gestures and a natural user interface. The application supports telestration- in case Mario wants to draw a fake moustache on Paris Hilton! Celebrity content can be sent to the Surface via remote access for on-the-fly updates. Best of all, Vectorform’s one and only Alison Weber had the opportunity to sit down with Mario Lopez and show him how to use the application. Mario was a joy to work with and a very quick learner on the new technology. As a result of our efforts, ExtraTV has extended its glowing praise on a job well done to Vectorform.

It is no surprise Vectorform designed and developed the first Microsoft Surface application to debut in India. TV9 is the flagship station for Indian media-giant Associated Broadcasting Company Pvt Ltd (ABCL), and Vectorform’s multi-touch application took viewers by storm when used to illustrate the 2009 Election of the Indian Parliament. Live from Andhra Pradesh, ABCL CEO and TV9 anchor Ravi Prakash made television history with his innovative presentation of the election coverage.

During the 2009 Parliamentary Elections, ABCL wanted to see TV9 reinforce its status as a market-leader in innovative news coverage, and to boost viewership by providing the most engaging on-air coverage of election material.

Vectorform designed and developed a set of applications for the Microsoft Surface, which allowed on-air illustrations of election status and past election history. The Microsoft Surface debuted in the United States in 2008, and the TV9 deployment represents the first use of the platform in India.

To be a success, the application suite had to accommodate the complex working of the Indian electoral system. Like the United States, India has a federal form of government, however, the central government in India has greater power over its states, and its central government is patterned after the British parliamentary system. The core components of the suite focused on Andhra Pradesh, and other applications highlighted local and federal election results.

Andhra Pradesh Members of Parliament Map: Depicted the state’s three major regions and its Parliamentary Constituencies. The map allowed on-air talent to drill-down into each area, and show results for the previous election, as well as a representation of the incoming results in the 2009 Election.

Andhra Pradesh Members of Legislative Assembly Map: Also depicted a map of the state, and the smaller constituencies for the Legislative Assembly. As on the Members of Parliament Map, the application allowed on-air talent to drill-down into each area, and show results for the past election, as well as a representation of the incoming results in the 2009 Election, and the election’s winner and runner-up.

Members of Parliament by State: Provided a high-level view of the parliamentary elections from 2004 and 2009 in the remaining 28 states.

The Battleground: Provided Mr. Prakesh with a way to illustrate the unique alliances formed by parties both prior to, and directly following the 2009 election.

Additionally, Vectorform created a web-based content management application to enable off-air administrators to feed election data into the application suite as the results were tallied.

On Saturday, May 16, 2009, Ravi Prakash demonstrated the application suite, using hand-gestures and real-world objects to interact with both live and historical data surrounding the Indian General Elections. The presentation quickly gained the attention of viewers and press-outlets around world.

The primary objective of the project, from the client’s perspective, was to reinforce their position as trendsetters, vis-à-vis use of latest technology complimented by innovative ways of presenting information; thereby propelling TV9 higher up on the Indian electronic media ladder as pioneers- in terms of content, capability and innovation. Last but not the least, TV9’s objective for all projects is to increase TRPs (Television Rating Points), which are primary incentives for promoters & sponsors to align with TV9. The television program featuring the election coverage on the Surface did just that – made a big impact on a landmark day in Indian politics -when over hundreds of thousands of living rooms across the country were glued to the television set.

The German state of Hessen teamed up with Microsoft and Vectorform to debut a first-generation eGoverment application for the Microsoft Surface. The multi-touch experience enables citizens of Hessen to interact with the latest information on politics, education and the environment. Attendants at CeBIT were the first to see what multi-touch technologies can do for eGovernment.

A big splash for Vectorform at the NAIAS 2009…multiple doses of multi-touch experiences created for the Chrysler 200C concept vehicle unveil.

From a multi-touch dashboard that interfaces with a mobile touch screen phone, to a completely seperate MS Surface experience demonstrating the multi-touch capapbilities using…multi-touch. Unveiled and recieving a ton of publicity.

People were out at the NRF this year and Vectorform’s retail multi-touch applications were well recieved. The NRF, in partnership with Hybridia Design, produced a conceptual music store called the Sonic Bar, which showcased how technology can be immersed in the customer experience. Vectorform was invited to contribute to the experience by creating a couple of POC’s based on a retail music store using the Surface and WinTouch platforms.

Once again, multi-touch was a big hit. The audience was very global and really excited by the technology, our applications and the possibilites, which are seemingly endless. Other features in the Sonic Bar customer experience were the Xbox 360, touch kiosks, promotional scanning systems, Microsoft Snag it tagging system, a DJ booth and an experiential marketing video wall presentation featuring a full audio and lighting rig. Another really cool thing to point out was the Wayfinding kiosks around the convention that used Win7 and touch technology to help guest find vendors by company or offering and then printed out a little map for you to take with you, along with the contact information for that company. While it was very kiosk-like, it offered a nicer interface and an overall better user expeirence.

As we wrap up here, I’ll be headed back to Detroit and will be sure to keep you posted on the events happeining at the NAIAS 2009. Vectorform, automobiles, multi-touch, iPhone, Surface…innovation. I can’t wait!

Vectorform has had a blast at CES. Our NBC Universal apps and the managed experience has been a huge hit. The NBC reps handed out 2GB SD disc jump drives in a Surface tagged package that were coded so that as people set down their package, they either received a notice saying “Winner” and received really cool novelties like a toaster powered by USB, or another message to visit the wall of media to download content to their new jumps. People were fanatic about it and NBC ran out of jump drives at the middle of day two. Mobbed! So, today people are slowing down to take the time to interact with the Surface and discover the content, which is really the magic of it.

Now I’m taking a little break here to blog from the NBC blogger lounge, appreciate the gratuity of the NBC folks over the past few days as well as throughout our projects with them and to view the crowds’ continued interest in the Surface. People are really taking the time to engage with NBC’s content, likely spending more time with it then they may have in the past and having a better experience overall. Adding a whole new dimension to what media can do to people by adding the sense of touch to sight, audio and emotional connections. Its just the beginning of something really big in the Multi-touch realm. As we wrap up here, things seem to be a little more quite today. We are continuing to meet some fascinating people and see interesting technologies.

Me? I’m getting geared up for what lays in wait for us at the NRF…not necessarily geared up for the red-eye that I’m catching tonight. More from New York tomorrow!

It is wildly gratifying when an application you helped create provides a little bit of inspiration for a Saturday Night Live skit. Poking equal amounts of fun at the different multi-touch political news apps out there, including NBC’s Electoral Surface Applications, this skit had all of Vectorform in stitches. See the video below for some interesting political scenarios, including New Hampshire’s secession from the US.